Faculty in Ophthalmology
Makoto Nakamura, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor & Chairman
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery,
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
SPECIALTY：Glaucoma and Neuro-ophthalmology
CAREER HISTORY
■2013 - present
Professor & Chairman
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2005 - 2013
Senior Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2001 - 2005
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■1999 - 2001
Research Scholar
Department of Ophthalmology and Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Penn State University School of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
■1995 - 1999
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■1994
Senior Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Steel Corporation Hirohata Hospital, Himeji, Japan
■1990 - 1994
Graduate Student
Departments of Ophthalmology and Radiation Biophysics and Genetics, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■1989
Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
American Academy of Ophthalmology
Imaging and Perimetry Society
Japanese Ophthalmological Society (Board Member)
Japan Glaucoma Society (Board Member)
The Japanese Neuro-ophthalmological Society (Board Member)
Japanese Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (Board Member )
Japan Imaging and Perimetry Society (Board Member)
The Japanese Society of Ophthalmic Surgeons
Japanese Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology
Japanese Association of Strabismus and Amblyopia
MESSAGE
Prof. Nakamura graduated from Kobe University School of Medicine, Japan, in 1989 and undertook his residency in ophthalmology there.
He also obtained Ph.D. from the Department of Radiation Biophysics and Genetics, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in 1994 for the thesis regarding mitochondria genetics of Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy in Japanese pedigrees.
He completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the Penn State University School of Medicine in 2001, where he devoted himself to the molecular mechanisms of neuronal death in diabetic retinopathy (J Biol Chem 276: 43748-55, 2001).
He was appointed as an associate professor in 2005 and subsequently promoted in 2013 to a Professor and Chairman of Kobe University. He had been assigned as a Deputy Director of Kobe University Hospital during 2018-2021.
Prof. Nakamura has published 149 peer-reviewed scientific publications covering both clinical research in glaucoma and neuro-ophthalmology field and basic research in the ocular neuroscience (Am J Pathol. 182: 1727-1739, 2013; Mol Neurobiol 2020; 57(11): 4530-4548) and also 25 case reports.
He received the most honorable award from the Japanese Ophthalmological Society (JOS), called the JOS Council Award, for his glaucoma and neuroscience research in 2011.
He is also a skillful surgeon and meticulous physician and has done numerous glaucoma surgeries and treated neuro-ophthalmology patients.
Yuko Yamada, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery,
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
SPECIALTY：Pediatric ophthalmology, Neuro-ophthalmology and Glaucoma
CAREER HISTORY
■2018 - present
Associate Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2013 - 2018
Senior Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2006 - 2013
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2003 - 2006
Postdoctoral Fellow
Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
■2002 - 2003
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■1999 - 2002
Chief Doctor
Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Children’s Hospital
■1998 - 1999
Senior Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Akashi City Hospital
■1994 - 1998
Graduate Student
Department of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■1993 - 1994
Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Japanese Ophthalmological Society
Japanese Association of Strabismus and Amblyopia
Japanese Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology
The Japanese Neuro-ophthalmological Society
Japan Glaucoma Society
Sentaro Kusuhara, M.D., Ph.D.
Senior Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery,
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
SPECIALTY：Retina and Uveitis
CAREER HISTORY
■2016 - present
Senior Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2014 - 2016
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2012 - 2014
Senior Research Associate
Translational Vision Research (Prof. Shima’s Lab), UCL Institute of Ophthalmology (as a 24-month overseas business trip)
■2008 - 2012
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2007 - 2008
Chief Doctor
Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Hospital
■2006 - 2007
Senior Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Hospital
■2006 - 2006
Assistant Professor
Department of Ophthalmology,Kobe University Hospital
■2004 - 2006
Research Associate
RIKEN, Center for Developmental Biology, Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Kobe, Japan
■2003 - 2004
Senior Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital
■1999 - 2003
Graduate Student
Department of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■1998 - 1999
Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Japanese Ophthalmological Society
Japanese Ocular Inflammation Society (Councillor)
Japanese Retina and Vitreous Society
The Japanese Society of Ophthalmic Diabetology
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
American Academy of Ophthalmology
International Ocular Inflammation Society
MESSAGE
As Dr. Kusuhara is interested in vascular endothelial dysfunction in retinal vascular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, uveitis, etc., much of his research efforts are focused on retinal blood vessels. Dr. Kusuhara conducts basic studies identifying the role of ABC transporters in physiological and pathological retinal angiogenesis.
Hisanori Imai, M.D., Ph.D.
Senior Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery,
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
SPECIALTY：Vitreoretinal diseases, Vitrectomy, Cataract surgery
CAREER HISTORY
■2018 - present
Senior Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2017 - present
Locum doctor (Concurrent post)
Kindai University Hospital
■2014 - 2017
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2014 - 2014
Chief Doctor
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe Kaisei Hospital
■2010 - 2014
Clinical Fellow
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe Kaisei Hospital
■2009 - 2010
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2007 - 2009
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Ophthalmology and Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Penn State University School of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
■2003 - 2007
Graduate Student
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Organ Therapeutics, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2001 - 2003
Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo Prefecture Amagasaki Hospital
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Japanese Ophthalmological Society
Japanese Retina and Vitreous Society
Japanese Society of Ophthalmic Surgery
Japanese Society of Ophthalmic Diabetology
MESSAGE
After received the degree of M.D. from Kobe University Medical School, Dr. Hisanori Imai started the residency in Dept. of Ophthalmology, Hyogo Prefecture Amagasaki Hospital.
After finished the residency he entered Kobe University Graduate School. He also worked in Kobe University hospital as a retina fellow and performed clinical studies regarding data analysis of the effect of treatments in various retinal diseases, especially for age-related macular degeneration using OCT, FA, IA and ERG. He obtained Ph.D. from the Dept. of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in 2007 and also completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the Penn State University School of Medicine in 2009.
After he returned to Japan, he worked as a physician in Kobe Kaisei Hospital from 2010 to 2014 and performed over 5,000 cataract surgeries and over 1,000 vitrectomies. Now, he has enough ability and experience as a specialist of vitreoretinal diseases.
From July in 2014, Dr. Hisanori Imai was reinstated as an assistant professor of Department of Ophthalmology in Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine.
Takayuki Nagai, M.D., Ph.D.
Senior Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery,
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
SPECIALTY：Cornea, Orbital disease, Retina
CAREER HISTORY
■2018 - present
Senior Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2011 - 2018
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2009 - 2011
Senior Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Nippon Steel Corporation Hirohata Hospital
■2005 - 2009
Graduate Student
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2004 - 2005
Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Mitsubishi Kobe Hospital
■2003 - 2004
Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Japanese Ophthalmological Society
Japanese Society of Tissue Transplantation
Japanese Society of Ocular Oncology
Japanese Retina and Vitreous Society
Akiko Miki, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery,
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
SPECIALTY：Medical retina and vitreoretinal surgery
CAREER HISTORY
■2014 - present
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2010 - 2014
Graduate Student
Department of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2008 - 2010
Research Associate
Department of Ophthalmology (Prof. Peter A. Campochiaro), Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University Hospital, U.S.A.
■2007 - 2008
Clinical Fellow
Department of Ophthalmology, Steel Memorial Hirohata Hospital
■2006 - 2007
Senior Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital
■2004 - 2006
Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
American Academy of Ophthalmology
Japanese Ophthalmological Society
Japanese Retina and Vitreous Society
Japanese Society for Ocular Circulation
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
MESSAGE
Dr. Miki earned her medical degree from Kobe University School of Medicine in 2004. In 2008-2010, she was a research fellow in prof. Peter A Campochiaro’ s lab at Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore, U.S.A.. She made great success in research about anti-VEGF drugs in angiogenesis, those were reported in J Cell Physiol, and Biomaterials. After she returned to Japan in 2010, she proceeded to Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, where she has studied the pathogenesis of retinal ganglion cell apoptosis in an experimental glaucoma rodent mode, which led her to a publication in Am J Patholl. She also worked as a physician in Kobe University hospital and performed clinical studies and genetic studies regarding age-related macular degeneration and other macular diseases, which have been published in Ophthalmology, Br J Ophthalmology and so forth. In 2014, she has been appointed as an assistant professor of Department of Ophthalmology in Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine.
Wataru Matsumiya, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery,
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
SPECIALTY：Medical retina, Vitreoretinal surgery and Uveitis
CAREER HISTORY
■2021 - present
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2019 - 2021
Visiting Scholar and Uveitis and Retina Clinical Research Fellow
Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University
■2017 - 2019
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2015 - 2017
Deputy Director
Department of Ophthalmology, Kitano Hospital, Tazuke Kofukai Medical Research Institute
■2013 - 2015
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2009 - 2013
Graduate Student
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2008 - 2009
Senior Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Tazuke Kofukai Foundation, Medical Research Institute, Kitano Hospital
■2006 - 2008
Junior Resident
Tazuke Kofukai Foundation, Medical Research Institute, Kitano Hospital
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Japanese Ophthalmological Society
Japanese Retina and Vitreous Society
Japanese Ocular inflammation Society
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
MESSAGE
Dr. Matsumiya's career has taken him on a journey, starting from Kobe University and then progressing to the Kitano Hospital, Tazuke Kofukai Medical Research Institute, and Stanford University. Now, as an assistant professor of ophthalmology, he has returned to Kobe University. He obtained the doctorate of medicine (M.D.) in 2006 and completed the doctorate of philosophy (Ph.D.) with research on ABC transporter in 2013 at Kobe University. He also actively engaged in clinical trials and research with Prof. Quan Dong Nguyen at Stanford University and successfully completed the clinical research fellow program at the Byers Eye Institute, Stanford, between 2019 and 2021. Over the course of 15 years as an ophthalmologist, he has dedicated himself to examining numerous patients suffering from vitreoretinal diseases and uveitis. He has performed a substantial number of cataract and vitreoretinal surgeries and has been actively involved in educating clinical fellows, as well as medical and graduate students. Moreover, he has secured basic research grants, presented at various academic conferences both domestically and internationally, and published numerous articles. Notably, he focuses on clinical practice and surgical interventions for patients with uveitis and vitreoretinal disease while conducting various research on ocular inflammation, including an international collaborative study.
Mari Sakamoto, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery,
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
SPECIALTY：Glaucoma, Neuro-ophthalmology, and Orbital disease
CAREER HISTORY
■2018 - present
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2015 - 2019
Graduate Student
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2010 - 2018
Clinical Fellow
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital
■2005 - 2006
Senior Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital
■2004 - 2005
Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo Prefectural Kaibara Hospital
■2003 - 2004
Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Japanese Ophthalmological Society
Japan Glaucoma Society
The Japanese Neuro-ophthalmological Society
Japanese Society of Ocular Oncology
Japan Imaging and Perimetry Society
Kaori Ueda M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery,
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
SPECIALTY：Glaucoma and Neuro-ophthalmology
CAREER HISTORY
■2018 - present
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2013 - 2018
Graduate Student
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2012 - 2013
Senior Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Konan Hospital
■2010 - 2012
Junior Resident
Konan Hospital
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Japanese Ophthalmological Society
The Japanese Neuro-ophthalmological Society
Japan Glaucoma Society
Japanese Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology
Hiroko Yamada, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery,
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
SPECIALTY：Vitreoretinal diseases
CAREER HISTORY
■2023 - present
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2022 - 2023
Clinical Fellow
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital
■2018 - 2022
Graduate Student
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Organ Therapeutics, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■2017 - 2018
Resident
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe Kaisei Hospital
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Japanese Ophthalmological Society
Japanese Retina and Vitreous Society
Japanese Society of Ophthalmic Surgery
Japanese Society of Ophthalmic Diabetology
The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Sotaro Mori, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery,
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
SPECIALTY：Glaucoma and Neuro-ophthalmology
CAREER HISTORY
■ 2023 – Present
Assistant Professor
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
■ 2021 – 2023
Research Fellow
University College London, Institute of Ophthalmology
■ 2016 – 2021
Clinical & Research Fellow
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmology
■ 2015 – 2016
Senior Resident
Kakogawa City West Hospital, Ophthalmology
■ 2013 – 2015
Junior Resident
Kobe University Hospital
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Japanese Ophthalmological Society
Japan Glaucoma Society
The Japanese Neuro-ophthalmological Society
Japanese Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision
Japan Imaging and Perimetry Society
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology